UTRECHT, Netherlands, Sept. 1 (UPI) — Quitting smoking is the best way to prevent lung cancer but eating a variety of vegetables may help decrease lung cancer risk, Dutch researchers say.

Dr. H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita of The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands says smokers in particular may lower their risks of squamous cell lung cancer by adding a variety of fruits and vegetables to their diets.

The study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, finds the risk of lung cancer decreased when a variety of vegetables were consumed. In addition, the risk of squamous cell carcinoma decreased substantially when a variety of fruits and vegetables were eaten, the study says.

“Although quitting smoking is the most important preventive action in reducing lung cancer risk, consuming a mix of different types of fruit and vegetables may also reduce risk, independent of the amount, especially among smokers,” Bueno-de-Mesquita says in a statement.

Bueno-de-Mesquita and colleagues evaluated 452,187 participants with complete information — 1,613 diagnosed with lung cancer — all participants in the ongoing, multi-centered European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.